PINE RIDGE, SOUTH DAKOTA

__________________________________Reservation Mission Trip

THE MISSION

Inside the southwest corner of South Dakota near the Nebraska border, sits a beautiful stretch of rolling hills and endless skies known as the Pine Ridge Reservation. Pine Ridge is one of the largest Native American reservations in the country, and faces some of the most deeply rooted challenges. Alcoholism, drugs, unemployment, abuse, and suicide, impact family dynamics and the larger community on a daily basis. We have walked through moments with families experiencing death from alcoholism, and schools grieving a single student lost by suicide.

This is why we came to Pine Ridge, but it is not why we stay in Pine Ridge.

We stay to learn. We stay to build trust. We stay because we see potential and hope. We stay because community members are joining us in the work and invested in change.

With countless mission teams visiting Pine Ridge on a year round basis, our desire is to humbly walk alongside the friendships we have built and faithfully support the local organizations who work day in and day out on the reservation. And although challenges are present and years of resentment towards outsiders may exist, hope persists and reconciliation continues to take place physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Our platform for partnership in Pine Ridge is construction based. Your students will meet tangible, physical needs on trailers and homes in the area. At the core, the work we are doing in Pine Ridge is relational. With your help, we desire to build relationships with new families and organizations in the area that are founded on trust, rooted in humility, and centered on learning.

QUICK INFO

DATES AVAILABLE

Call for Availability on Crossed out Dates or for Winter/Spring Break Trips

AGE GROUPS ALLOWED

Middle School Students

High School Students

College Students

TRIP COST

$419/person

*This includes all accommodations, food, work project materials and programming.

TYPICAL WORK

Construction 75%

Community Activities / Immersion 20%

Relational Ministry 5%

PAST PROJECTS

HANDS OF FAITH – FULL BUILD

Beginning in 2014, Next Step volunteers teamed up with Hands of Faith Ministry to build a home from the ground up with the White Dress family. After two years of building, the project is now complete. After seeking custody of her grandchildren and being denied due to living conditions, Peggy was looking for options. Alongside Lakota construction men and Peggy’s family members, all the work is complete and Peggy now lives with her daughters and grandkids in her new home. Beyond a new home, Lakota men and women were trained in construction and new building skills throughout the process, as well as deeply rooted friendships that have extended over state borders.

LAKOTA HOPE -WORSHIP ARBOR

In 2013, Next Step partnered with Lakota Hope Ministry to build an outdoor arbor. The vision was clear: to utilize Native American style and design for the structure and to host community gatherings that reflected the light of Christ. It has and continues to be all about praise and worship. Since the arbor’s completion the space has hosted hundreds of community cookouts, over 4 dozen worship gatherings with Lakota speakers, prayer meetings, community leadership meetings, concerts, local entrepreneur art sales, and much more.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

HANDS OF FAITH MINISTRY

Director of the Ministry, Curtis Hoyt and his wife Bonnie, have lived in Pine Ridge for over 12 years. Curtis works with young men on the Reservation in a construction mentorship program. He also hosts a weekly Bible Study for these men, which has been growing consistently in numbers. Hands of Faith Ministry exists to empower young adult men on the Reservation, as they believe that a healthy and consistent father presence in any household can reverse many statistics that plague Pine Ridge Reservation.

LAKOTA HOPE

This is an organization that is based in Whiteclay, NE. Bruce and Marsha BonFleur, Co- Directors of the Ministry, have worked with the people of Whiteclay for almost 20 years and seek to create employment opportunities, as well as the light of Christ, to the people on the streets of Whiteclay. They also host a weekly cookout and worship service throughout the summer to share the Hope and Light of Christ to the people of the Reservation.

WICONI WAKAN

“Life is Sacred”. This is a Lakota-led nonprofit that strives to educate and eliminate suicide on the Reservation. Through presentations and other various camps, the Weasel Bear Family has a passion to see the youth of Pine Ridge filled with hope and a sense of opportunity. This family also hosts an annual summer youth camp to expose the youth of the community to the Gospel as well as traditional art and other various practices, hygiene, games, and much more.

WORSHIP

EVENING PROGRAMMING

WORSHIP MUSICWe’ve been told our worship experience is where summer camp meets mission trip. We put together bands from all over the country to lead your students in powerful worship every night. These talented and Christ-centered musicians will help show your students that worship can be fun, worship can be exciting, and worship can bring a joy they have maybe never experienced before.

CHALLENGING MESSAGESIt is our goal to bring your students closer to Christ this week. One way we do this is through challenging evening messages. Whether your students are new to the whole God thing or devoted Christians, these messages will help them understand Christ is alive and working in their lives today and a personal relationship with Him is available.

ORIGINAL VIDEO SERIESEvery summer we produce an original video series that coincides with the evening messages. This video series is our attempt to reach your students in yet another way with powerful stories of Christ in action. We’ve featured speakers such as Francis Chan, Shane Claiborne and Propaganda. You can watch some of our past video series in our Media Section.

MYSTEP FOLLOW-UP

MyStep is an online program solely dedicated to helping your students, your church, or your ministry take the next step in a commitment to Jesus Christ. Whether you just came back from a mission trip through Next Step, or you’re just looking for another way to strengthen your faith, MyStep is for you! We created a safe environment for students to explore the faith, and experience God in new and amazing ways!

Devo Stories are one of MyStep’s most popular features. We have over 365 short video story illustrations that show the many different ways God is working in our daily lives. Whether it’s a comical lesson about the consequences of stealing or a serious conversation about a parents’ divorce, these stories help students understand God in new and real ways.

Another feature is the Prayer Wall, which provides an open and anonymous prayer forum for anyone to share their praises and concerns, and be prayed for throughout the year. Know our team is praying for these requests.

Both of these features can be installed for free on your mobile device. Simply search for Devo Stories or Prayer Wall on your phone or tablet’s app store. This makes staying connected to God and each other easier than ever!

LOGISTICS

ACCOMODATIONS

The trip is hosted at Oglala Sioux Parks & Recreation Center, located just 25 minutes from the center of Pine Ridge. Sleeping will be on the floor so please bring a twin air mattress and bedding. There are eight total bathrooms and individual shower stalls in the building, four for males and four for females. There is not AC in the buildings we sleep or worship in, so fans are encouraged. All meals will be enjoyed outside under a large tent. We recommend bringing warm clothes and bug spray for the evening.

TRANSPORTATION

This site is bus accessible, but vans are preferred. Some groups choose to fly and then rent vehicles for the week. The nearest airport is Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) in Rapid City, SD and is a two hour drive from Pine Ridge. Another option is the Denver International Airport in Denver, CO approximately 5 hours from Pine Ridge.

FAQS

Yes. Next Step Ministries exists to give middle school, high school, and college students an opportunity to explore their faith, experience God, and extend service to others on a mission trip. Students are our top priority and safety is always our primary concern. Thankfully, because of our long-term commitment and involvement within the community we have developed many close relationships with the locals. The community is familiar with Next Step and we’ve worked hard to humbly earn their trust and respect. Because of these close friendships we are the first to know if something out of the ordinary comes up or is unsafe.

The trip lodging facility will always be locked to ensure safety. During the day, students will be serving at homes where Next Step has already visited the family and knows who they are. Furthermore, community members select these projects, so we can ensure they are safe places for us to be. This network of community friendships allows for Next Step to engage with the community in a way that is trusted and safe.

On the first night of the trip, our staff will train and equip your team to understand safety on the construction work sites. If you’re interested in learning more about this, please visit our Construction Safety page.

We are more than happy to talk in more detail about safety on this trip. Please feel free to contact our office for further conversation regarding trip safety.

We are committed to never being in an area where we feel students are at a heightened risk to their physical, spiritual or emotional health. However, we understand we are serving in a community where safety concerns surround us at a distance. For that reason, we have created Safety Procedures available for the main leader of your trip on the Trip Dashboard. You can access this information at anytime leading up to your trip.

For summer mission trips you must have a minimum of five participants to be eligible for a group. If you have less than five participants please contact our office. The maximum number of people will depend on location capacity and availability. Please call our office to learn more about the special requirements for spring mission trips.

Our office staff is available to help with this process. Please contact our office to learn more about how to reserve your spots. You can always add people to your group, as long as there is space available.

Next Step Ministries offers trips for middle school, high school, and college groups. Some trips are reserved for specific age groups and other trips are mixed ages. Please contact our office with your preferences and we will provide you with a list of available trips. Middle school trips are for students going into 6th, 7th, or 8th grade. High school trips are for students going into 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. College trips are for ages 18-25.

Each location has a different max capacity, so please contact our office to learn more about spaces available. In the event that we are fully booked for the trip you are interested in, we can put you on a wait list or help find alternative trip options. To avoid these delays, we recommend registering for your trip as soon as you can!

The deposit is $50 per participant and due 30 days after online registration. The deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. March 15 is the last day to cancel participants. Note, if you cancel participants prior to March 15 the deposit money will be lost. If you need to make cancellations after March 15, your church will still be responsible for paying the full fee for all participant registrations reserved. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact our office and we would be happy to discuss in more detail.

No, we do not affiliate with a particular denomination. Next Step Ministries is an interdenominational organization and we partner with hundreds of churches from all different denominations on our mission trips. Please see our Statement of Faithto learn more about what we believe. In simple terms, we stick to the basics of the Gospel. Our foundation for ministry is to provide opportunities for students to connect and grow in a personal relationship with Christ.

Next Step Ministries works alongside community leaders, non-profit organizations, and the local church in order to line up work projects. Next Step Partnership Coordinators live and serve within the community year round and are well connected. Next Step collaborates with the community to plan the projects you will be working on in advance.

A Next Step Partnership Coordinator facilitates community partnerships, lines up projects, leads the summer staff, and coordinates other logistics such as lodging and accommodations. The trip will be facilitated by 8-10 energetic, mission-minded, and highly trained college interns. The site staff will include a construction team, worship team, speaker, meal coordinators, and administrative leaders to guide you through the week.

You will most likely be attending a trip with 2-4 other youth groups. All groups will share sleeping quarters and we will have meals and worship together as a large group. Most of our mission site locations can accommodate for 80-100 volunteers each week. For work projects, we love to mix students and encourage new friendships to form, but also understand that many groups prefer not to have their group split up for different work projects. Please let our office staff know your preference and we will plan accordingly to accommodate your preferences.

During the mission trip it is important that we make every effort to dress respectfully, modestly, and appropriately. We will be working hard serving in the community so it is best to wear old, comfortable, and modest clothes. Please understand there may be different cultural norms in the other partnering churches and/or community you are visiting for one week. While certain clothing may be acceptable in your hometown, it might not be appropriate for the mission trip.

Please review the dress code below and pack accordingly. If you have any questions, please contact our office at missions@nextstepministries.com or 608-514-4051.

Shirts: All trip participants should wear either a short-sleeve or long-sleeve t-shirt on the work projects. You may wear tank tops or sleeveless shirts in the evening during free time, dinner, and worship. Tank tops must be modest. Please note, no spaghetti strap tank tops or ripped/torn cut-off shirts. All sleeveless shirts must have a hem.

Pants/Shorts: All trip participants should wear modest pants or shorts at all times on the mission trip. Please adhere to the following rules:

Please be mindful of the length of your shorts. Follow the “fingertip length” rule to determine if your shorts are appropriate length. To do this, stand with your arms straight at your side and place your palm against the side of your legs. The length of your shorts should be at your fingertips or longer. Spandex pants/shorts are NOT allowed on the mission trip at anytime. This includes yoga pants or spandex athletic shorts.

Bathing Suits

Ladies must wear a one-piece swim suit or wear a t-shirt over a two-piece swim suit. Males must wear swim trunks that are long enough for the “fingertip length” rule mentioned above.

The trip cost is the same for students and adults. The cost covers all meals, materials, and lodging. The only cost not included is for transportation. You will need to provide your own vehicle for every day of the trip.

The trip begins on Sunday evening. Please plan to arrive between 3:00-5:00 pm. Our friendly staff will welcome you with dinner and help you unload all of your bags. The trip concludes Saturday morning after breakfast and clean up. Please plan to depart by 9:00 am. We are happy to accommodate your travel plans so please contact our office if you need special arrival or departure plans. Please note the July 17-22 trip is scheduled as a Sunday-Friday trip and will conclude Friday morning at 9:00 am.